Devices for storing and dispensing liquid and liquid-like substances are well-known and serve a useful purpose. "Fast-food" retailers, for example, often purchase pre-mixed food products that also come pre-packaged in relatively large containers. Such containers are stored in a refrigerated area prior to and during dispensing of the food product.
It should be noted that liquid and liquid-like substances that are stored and dispensed by the present invention include beverages, slushes, ice cream, ice milk and dairy-grade mixes. In fact, the invention accommodates any substance that can be stored in a container and withdrawn or pumped through an aperture in the container, including granular or powdered substances that "flow" in a manner analogous to a liquid. The word "liquid" in this application therefore henceforth refers to any or all of the substances discussed above, among others. Although the remainder of this application primarily discusses liquid food products, it is understood that other flowable substances, liquids and liquid-like substances may be stored and dispensed using the invention. For example, petroleum products and adhesives can be accommodated. The device of the present invention can also accommodate substances which change from liquid to solid state after filling due to, for example, a change in temperature.
The prior art includes several different types of liquid food product containers, each type suffering from various disadvantages. Traditional metal milk cans and variations thereof are very common. All such cans are relatively heavy and expensive and require expensive retinning maintenance. Particular designs have other disadvantages.
One type of metal milk can, represented by U.S. Pat. No. 982,012 issued to C. E. North, includes a neck having a vertical aperture that can align with a similar aperture in a lid. The lid is constrained by a breakable seal that is attached to the can and to the lid. The apertures can be aligned without breaking the seal so that milk can be added to or withdrawn from the can through the apertures. The lid cannot be completely removed to allow more complete access to the interior of the can for cleaning purposes without breaking the seal. Thus, the can is intended and designed to be cleaned only by authorized personnel and not by the dairy farmers. However, unauthorized personnel can gain access to the interior of the can through the apertures without breaking the seal; milk can be readily withdrawn and foreign products added and the recipient of the can has no means of detection.
Another milk can design, represented by U.S. Pat. No. 274,745 issued to G. W. Evans, is directed to the unauthorized access problem. A breakable seal covers a locking mechanism that prevents movement of the lid. Once the seal is broken the mechanism can be unlocked. Therefore, a broken seal indicates that the lid may have been removed. One problem with this design is that the lid must be completely removed even before an authorized access. It is often preferrable to keep the lid engaged with the container during use so that the risk of spilling is minimized and foreign matter is prevented from falling into a gaping hole, typically horizontal, in the container.
Brief mention was made above of the need to clean the food containers. This usually involves removing the lid and the use of a liquid cleaning solution. After cleaning, the containers are hung in an inverted orientation so that they can drain. Hanging holes are often provided at the base of the container for this purpose.
One problem with hanging holes in the prior art is that they potentially allow the container to hang vertically. A vertical container generally does not drain as well as a non-vertical container. Horizontal surfaces on the lower edge of prior art hanging holes contribute to this problem. U.S. Pat. No. 3,143,242, for example, shows hanging holes of this type.
In addition to the problems outlined above, the prior art food containers do not include convenient means for identifying the container and its contents.
Finally, the prior art does not include a design that adequately addresses the above-discussed problems and, at the same time, includes means for stacking or nesting of containers; a handle ring and rolling ring that accommodate forklift tynes; bayonet mounting means for the lid; double-wall construction for insulation and other purposes; bumpers or rollers for level rolling of the device on its side.
Although, in general, the aforementioned food containers have performed satisfactorily, these devices have not been found to be entirely suitable. The present invention solves many of the problems discussed above. Specifically, the present invention provides a container and dispenser that includes means for determining whether unauthorized access of any kind has been effected while at the same time allowing ready access for an authorized user without requiring removal of the lid.
The present invention also provides a hanging hole that substantially precludes vertical hanging and eliminates the pooling of liquids on the hole's lower surface when the container is hanging upside down.
Addressing the other aforementioned problems, further embodiments of the instant invention include a plastic container that is nestable and rollable, that accommodates forklift manipulation by either a fork-truck, hand truck or drum truck, that inclues a bayonet lid engagement scheme, and double-walled construction. In the double-walled embodiment, a void between the two walls can be filled with various substances to improve the efficiency, strength and safety characteristics of the container. Alternatively, the void can be evacuated to improve the container's heat insulation properties.
It should be emphasized that the invention is not limited to any particular size or capacity. That is, the container could, for example, serve as an alternative to traditional 55 gallon drums. The invention is not limited to 55 gallon capacity, however.